The Professional Organization of Arizona Psychiatrists

All over the United States, college counseling centers are strained by rising numbers of mentally ill students and surging demand for mental health services, especially so as campus officials try to identify potential threats like the unstable Virginia Tech gunman.

The fact is that even when serious mental health issues are identified, college officials often find themselves with limited options as how to respond due to an multitude of laws and policies protecting students' rights and privacy.

Dr. Gerald Kay, the chair of the American Psychiatric Association committee on college mental health noted that "the number of people coming to colleges who've had psychiatric treatment has increased tremendously". He added, "Now they're able to come to college _ that would not have been the case earlier". The reasons for this increase  include the Americans with Disabilities Act, giving mentally ill students the right to be at college, and higher efficacy of newer psychiatric medications which enable them to function better than in the past.

Recent surveys and studies provide a support for such increase. For instance, a 2006 survey by the American College Health Association found that 8.5 percent of students had seriously considered suicide, and 15 percent were diagnosed for depression, up from 10 percent in 2000.

Dr. Chris Flynn, director of Virginia Tech's counseling center, declined to discuss details of gunman Cho Seung-Hui's case, but noted that center's staff include a psychiatrist and 11 psychologists, with the center treating about 2,000 students per school year.

Research by Sherry Benton, a psychologist at the Kansas State University, found that students' mental health problems are more complex and severe than 20 years ago. The researcher noted "We're well aware that problems are getting worse, but what hasn't happened is increasing funding for mental health services". Benton noted "Most centers are now overwhelmed. Business has gone up and up, but budgets have remained the same or been cut, and that's a huge problem", adding "We do get a lot more students into college who have mental illness but are no problem whatsoever. They do need support and use medication; they go on to lead full, productive lives." She pointed out that the stress levels among students is now far higher than a generation ago due to increased workloads and financial strains, often coupled with lack of healthy lifestyles.